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CAF Champions League

TYAVKASE: NO MARGIN FOR ERRORS AGAINST WYDAD IN CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TIE

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On Sunday, no quarter would be asked and none would be given when Lobi Stars entertain Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco on Match Day 3 at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium.

The match, originally slated for Saturday is pushed to Sunday as the Enugu stadium venue will be used for political campaign this Saturday.

According to Cafonline, this much is the prediction of experienced Lobi Stars’ midfielder David Tyavkase, a veteran of many continental cup battles dating back to his days with Enyimba where he successively won the CAF Champions League in 2003 and 2004 as well as the Africa Super Cup in 2004 and 2005.

“During my stint with Enyimba, I never played against Wydad but I played against Raja Club Athletic of Morocco; and generally, we know what most teams from North Africa can do,” the 34-year-old Tyavkase said in an interview with CAFOnline.com.

“It is true that Wydad has so far shown good form in this competition but it’s up to us to stop them on Saturday in Enugu.”

Described as a ‘game changer’ by coach Solomon Ogbeide partly for Tyavkase’s ability to come off the bench to score vital goals for his side; aside his near to two decades experience playing at international levels for both club and country.

Tyavkase said Lobi Stars must be up and running in this weekend’s tie against their battle-hardened North African visitors with whom they contest for quarter final tickets in a seemingly tough Group A complete with ASEC Mimosas and Mamelodi Sundowns.
Incidentally, all the four teams have so far have identical results after they have each recorded just a win and and lost in previous two matches.

“We have to be very fit and alert throughout the match against Wydad,” noted Tyavkase, a former Nigerian international who won four (4) domestic league titles with Enyimba.

“From my experience, the first 45 minutes and 10 minutes into the second half are the most dangerous periods playing against any team from North Africa; and we must be very alert because Wydad will come hard on us.

“We need the three points from this encounter because any of the four teams in the group can go through; I believe we have the team that can play against the best on the continent.”

Tyavkase who had a brief stint with US Bitam of Gabon en route to Lobi Stars said the playing body will gird their loins against their Moroccan counterparts to keep their campaign alive.

“We want to win on Friday in order to be in good position before we travel for the second leg in Morocco,” noted the midfielder.

Meanwhile, in the other Group A tie billed for Friday, Mamelodi Sundowns hosts ost ASEC Mimosas at the Loftus Stadium in Pretoria as the competition reaches the half way mark.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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